The quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff delivered several memorable performances, including the 1-seed and 2-seed getting blasted out of the field with ease. In a rematch between Ohio State and undefeated Oregon, the Buckeyes obliterated the Ducks in the Rose Bowl, while SEC champion Georgia was sent packing by a physical Notre Dame team.
For Arizona State and Boise State, though, the moment remains sweeter. The Sun Devils were astonishingly close to pulling the first monumental upset of the playoff against Texas but fell just short in double overtime. The Broncos gave Penn State a strong game but a missed late field goal that would have cut the lead to one score had it not went wide.
Now, the focus turns to the future for all four programs. For Georgia and Oregon, finding a way to return to national championship caliber will be top of mind. At Arizona State and Boise State, charting a new path forward without their superstar running backs is the next challenge.
Here’s what’s next for each College Football Playoff quarterfinal loser heading into a long offseason.
Georgia: Recommit to the run game
The Bulldogs rushed for only 124 yards per game on a pathetic 2.1 yards per carry despite running behind an offensive line stacked with NFL talent. Guards Tate Ratledge and Dylan Fairchild as well as tackle Earnest Greene III all rank in the top 140 of the CBS Sports NFL Draft Prospect Rankings. Even against Notre Dame, running back Nate Frazier had 37 yards on only four carries. The question is why Frazier and Travis Etienne only had 15 combined carries on 61 plays? It’s hard to argue this is a talent issue.
During Georgia’s 2021 national championship run, the Bulldogs had five players clear 250 yards rushing. In 2022, four players did with three hitting 500 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. That number fell to only two such players in 2024 as Georgia posted the No. 102 rushing offense in college football, the worst mark of the Kirby Smart era by nearly 50 spots.
Georgia’s offense has flaws at every level compared to the national championship seasons, but offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s play sequencing just isn’t cutting it, especially with a bad wide receiver room limiting the unit. If the Bulldogs can’t improve running the ball next season, they’ll again find themselves with multiple losses and miles away from championship contention.
Arizona State: Refocus around Sam Leavitt
Running back Cam Skattebo put together one of the most legendary performances by a running back in the history of the College Football Playoff. The former Sacramento State transfer claimed that no one in college football could stop him. Turns out, he was absolutely right. Unfortunately, he’s out of eligibility (fingers crossed for a loophole to bring him back!), but the Sun Devils are still in good hands with their exciting, young quarterback Sam Leavitt.
Leavitt’s numbers against Texas’s top-ranked defense didn’t jump off the page (24-of-46 passing for 222 yards, 60 yards rushing and a late interception). However, that masks just how impressive the freshman was in keeping Arizona State in the game. Leavitt did a sensational job of extending plays and scrambling for excess yards. In the limited moments where he had a clean pocket, Leavitt went downfield, too. On the season, Leavitt threw for nearly 3,000 yards on 8.2 yards per attempt with 24 touchdowns to six interceptions.
The Sun Devils have a laundry list of talented running backs returning to the program in 2025, including backup Kyson Brown, former five-star Raleek Brown (USC) and junior Alton McCaskill (Houston/Colorado). They won’t replicate Skattebo’s brilliance, but with another step forward from Leavitt, Arizona State can easily return to this level again.
Oregon: Commit to the future
The Ducks have been one of the most successful programs in the transfer portal over the past several years. Quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma/UCF) and Bo Nix (Auburn) both turned into Heisman Trophy finalists after transferring. Receivers Evan Stewart and Tez Johnson, defensive linemen Jordan Burch and Derrick Harmon and defensive back Jabbar Muhammad helped get the Ducks to national contention.
But now it’s time for coach Dan Lanning to flex his guys. The Ducks have top-10 recruiting classes in four of the past five seasons and reeled in the Nos. 3 and 4 high school classes in the last two years. Oregon ranked No. 6 in the 247Sports Talent Composite and are on track to fly even further up the rankings.
Identifying specific transfers will always be key for programs to hit championship level. Ohio State, for example, took seven players via the portal. At the same time, all four teams remaining in the CFP (Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame) are developmental programs. The Ducks were able to bide time and reach national contention via the portal. Finishing on top will require the studs from Lanning’s first three recruiting classes to take over. They’ve had success stories like OT Josh Conerly and DE Matayo Uiagalelei, but the roster now must be filled with these players.
MORE: What’s ahead for Oregon after quarterfinal loss
Boise State: Keep building
Simply put, running back Ashton Jeanty is irreplaceable. The junior joined Barry Sanders as the only players in college football history to rush for 2,600 yards. He was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. Perhaps most impressive, Jeanty turned down far bigger monetary offers to leave via the transfer portal.
But while Jeanty is gone, the Broncos proved against Penn State that the roster has plenty of fight. Quarterback Maddux Madsen became the only passer to throw for 300 yards against Penn State in 2024. The Broncos’ highly rated pass rush sacked Penn State’s Drew Allar four times, more than any other opponent. First-year coach Spencer Danielson added an edge to this program and helped lead them to back-to-back outright titles for the first time since 2009 under Chris Petersen.
The next great iteration of Boise State probably won’t be built around the explosive run after Jeanty’s departure for the NFL. However, Danielson is capable of building a new way. After watching this team play, there’s no question that players will be flocking to Boise to be a part of this program.
